


Giving Up and Giving In Aren't Options

by SugarRose22



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Blood, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Broken Bones, Crying, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Roller Coaster, Epiphanies, Falling In Love, Feelings Realization, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gore, Heavy Angst, Hurt, I'm Sorry, Injury Recovery, Kissing, Loss of Limbs, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Making Out, Mutual Pining, Near Death, Near Death Experiences, Recovery, Sad, Sad with a Happy Ending, Season 4 Spoilers, Sobbing, There is good in this story I promise, Trauma, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-22 01:49:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12470792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugarRose22/pseuds/SugarRose22
Summary: Lance was ready to accept his death. He was ready to go, he'd done some good in this world, in this universe, FOR the universe, it was going to be okay. He was okay with this. He could accept his death.But nobody else could.Especially not Keith, who still has things to say to Lance that he never got to when he left.





	Giving Up and Giving In Aren't Options

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, too many angsty emotions are inside of me and they need an outlet.. but of course I'm sappy so this isn't totally a train wreck of sadness. I hope you guys like it, I tried to be emotional and stuff since I don't typically write sad/bloody things a lot.. I need to expand from the fluff I always dish out. Enjoy!
> 
> Oh, before you start, just in case... *hands out boxes of tissues*

Lance's heart was rapidly banging against his rib cage, his mind muddled with thoughts and concerns for the mission and the plan they were minutes away from executing. Anxiety twisted his stomach into knots and beneath his suit and armor his palms were sweaty and shaky. This planet was infested with Galra, as it was a main stop for Galra supply ships, and was surely stocked with excessively important materials. Destroying this planet would further Voltron's goal to collapse the Galra Empire, but Lance was still nervous.

 

For this mission, they were teaming up with the Blade of Marmora and other rebel fighters in order to get inside and plant the explosives that would tear the place to bits and effectively shut down this end of the trade route. While the Blade was taking it apart from the inside, the Lions would be providing covering fire from the outside and drawing attention of the Galra ships and soldiers in order to give the Blade more time. Lance was ready to fight, but something deep in his gut was worrying him. Something was going to go wrong, and though Lance didn't know that for sure, he felt it.

 

Taking a deep breath, Lance tried to calm his nerves as he slowly piloted Red toward the planet. A ways behind them was the Castle of Lions where Coran was waiting, monitoring things from the deck. The large ships containing Blade and rebel fighters flanked the five Lions flying in formation, and Lance couldn't help his mind from drifting toward Keith. He was there, on one of the Blade ships, and he was going to go in and risk his life for the sake of the mission. The thought of Keith getting hurt or worse made Lance sick, and once again Lance tried to keep his breathing even, shoving those thoughts away. Keith was a strong fighter, he wouldn't let anything hurt him. 

 

"Alright team," Shiro's strong voice came through the comms. "This is probably going to get ugly, so be prepared. Are we ready? " 

 

"Yes sir!" Hunk, Pidge and Allura responded in complete unison. Lance's response was slightly behind and not nearly as confident. No one commented if they noticed, though, and Lance watched as Shiro sped his Lion up with the others following behind. With a gulp, Lance nudged Red's controls to get her to go a little faster. She was the fastest Lion after all, so not a lot of effort was needed to complete the action.

 

"On my count, we dive and start our distraction." Shiro said. Lance's heart thrummed painfully in his chest as they approached the planet. He could see the dark buildings all across the surface, along with the glowing purple runways for incoming shipments. There were also some ships patrolling above the base but they hadn't spotted the Lions yet. 

 

"Now!" Shiro's shout came and a second later the massive figure of the Black Lion was rushing forwards, the others following in hot pursuit. Lance clenched his jaw and shoved his nervousness away in favor of the adrenaline he got as Red raced toward the planet. He felt her eager growling in the back of his mind and smirked slightly. She had his back, she wouldn't let anything happen to him. They were going to kick some Galra ass.

 

Their formation broke apart as they entered the planet's atmosphere and the Galra soldiers spotted them, immediately rushing to get to ships and weaponry. Lance swerved to the right, a few ships already on his tail as he drew them away from the Blade and rebel ships that were ducking for the thick blue forestry of the planet. Lance quickly did a loop and shot the ships down before darting back into the fray to take on more.

 

"Allura, a little help?!" Pidge cried as she hurried to dodge a multitude of lasers. There were too many on her for her to take out, but a ray of ice was blasting through the cluster and effectively knocking out a large portion. Lance watched carefully has he maneuvered through the battleships, taking them out one by one with his blasters. 

 

"Shiro!" Suddenly, it was Kolivan's voice coming through the communicator they had linked with their own. "There are too many footsoldiers, we are unable to infiltrate the base!"

 

Lance knew something had to be done quick or else they would have more casualties than needed, and Lance couldn't let these fighters die in vain. 

  
"Shiro," Lance spoke hurriedly, already piloting Red down toward the main entrance to the base. "I'm going in to help them! You guys focus on taking out the soldiers in the sky!"

 

"Be careful, Lance!" Hunk shouted over the comms, worry and strain present in his voice. 

 

Lance's heart clenched. "I will, buddy." He responded, turning his focus on the large mass of Galra soldiers pouring from the entrance of the building. He pulled up on Red's controls and shot at the group of solders for a few ticks, effectively clearing a path. He quickly landed his Lion, whispering a hushed promise that he would be back momentarily as she reluctantly lowered her maw to the ground and allowed him out. He felt her uneasiness and worry and did his best to soothe her before heading for the Galra base.

 

"Lance, what are you doing?!" Allura's voice echoed in his ears. He pulled out his bayard, morphing it into his gun, and rushed toward the group of Blade and rebel fighters as they rushed passed the fallen bodies and took out the others that continued to come. Red sat regally behind him, her forcefield raised and the heat of their bond burning through Lance.

 

"I have to provide cover fire! You guys will be fine, I won't be long I promise, but there's definitely more soldiers inside than out and they need all the help they can get!" Lance replied, entering the huge building.

 

Sounds of gunfire filled the halls and Lance focused on shooting down as many soldiers as possible. Adrenaline pumped through his blood and he was sweating, but he forced his concentration on the incoming Galra. He followed the larger group as a small portion split, most likely going to place a bomb in one of the control rooms. Lance's mind was clouded with varying thoughts but he urged himself to breathe. Before he could panic, he anchored himself to Red's heat and her comforting purrs in his mind. 

 

More groups parted from the main one, a mix of Blade and rebel fighters. Lance hadn't located Keith yet but he knew the former Red Paladin was here. He didn't have the time to look as he rounded the corner with them and stopped at the sight of an oncoming fleet of soldiers. These ones weren't all robots either, they were real Galra soldiers. Lance tightened his grip on his blaster. Things just got kicked up a notch.

 

Sliding back behind the corner, Lance focused on the soldiers at the front, shooting them precisely in their heads and chests. A few blade fighters had rushed into the fray for close combat while others had blasters and guns they used for further ranges. A stray laser flew past Lance's head and he jerked back with a gasp, pressing into the wall behind him as the sounds of shouting and gunfire clouded his ears. He heard his teammates through the coms, heard the shouting and yelling. This mission wasn't easy, at all, and Lance just wanted it to be over. His eyes skittered over the fallen bodies on the ground, Galra and rebels alike. Some were injured, crying out in pain, but others were motionless on the ground in puddles of blood. The fallen robot soldiers were sparking and twitching or completely still, and Lance tried to focus on breathing as a panic rose up in his chest. 

 

Shutting his eyes, he blocked out the world for a moment and tried to settle his heart. Red growled to him, sensing his anxiety and panic through his muddled emotions. Lance appreciated her attempt to comfort him, and he steeled his nerves and fought back his nausea as he whirled around and began to shoot again. He was careful of the fighters up close and made sure he was breathing evenly even though his tongue was tense as he fought back bile. When the hoard had been cleared, he kept his eyes on Kolivan as the group split in two, ready to plant the last few bombs. He couldn't tell which was Keith out of the hooded Blade figures, but he couldn't pay attention to the fluffy fluttering in his chest, he had to focus on the mission at hand.

 

When they got to the control room Lance posted himself at the door, covering the corridor as they worked to plant the bomb on the control panel. His body was hot and tense, and though he was slightly shaky he held tight to his bayard. Sparing a glance back to check on the progress and was startled to find Keith right over his shoulder.

 

"Keith," He breathed, momentarily distracted by Keith's focused expression, the sheen of sweat across his forehead, his chiseled jawline where the muscles jumped as he ground his teeth together..

 

"Good to see you, Lance," Keith said, slightly out of breath, and Lance suppressed a shudder at Keith's low voice. "How's Red?"

 

Lance blinked once, face flushing as he turned back around to scan the corridor. He could hear faint yells and gunfire, but nothing was close. "She's good. Overprotective as Hell, still. She almost didn't let me out." He chuckled lightly as he felt her concerned roaring. She wanted him back, safe and sound in her cockpit where he was shielded from the dangers of the outside world. He tried to send some reassurance back to her, but he was broken out of his thoughts by Keith's hand on his shoulder. His armor pressed lightly into his skin and he turned to see Keith smirking at him.

 

"That's how she was with me," He turned back to Kolivan and the team working on locking the bomb into place. Lance turned back around as some shouting started to echo closer to their position, but he heard Keith's quiet voice behind him as if the raven was speaking to himself. "I'm glad she remembers what I told her."

 

Lance was about to swivel around and ask Keith what he meant by that when Galra soldiers began pouring down the corridor. Keith cursed as Lance immediately began laying down fire.

 

"Kolivan! They're headed our way, and there's a lot of them!" Keith called before he threw up his hood, mask appearing over his face, and rushed out with his blade. Lance wanted to stop him, but he was already gone and slicing away at the incoming soldiers. 

 

"The bomb is planted. We've got about two minutes before they start going off." Kolivan came up, his own weapon brandished, and Lance paled. How were they supposed to get through the pack of soldiers in two minutes? There was a lot and Lance was sure more were coming. He swallowed down his worry and followed slowly behind the Blade and rebel fighters who were blasting and cutting at the Galra before them.

 

Their group wasn't able to move very far as the Galra continued to come, red lasers firing everywhere. Lance caught occasional glimpses of Keith as he whirled as fast as lightning, easily taking out soldier after soldier. Slightly farther behind the group, Lance crouched, the knee of his armor scraping against the ground as he tried to avoid getting hit. He didn't know how much time they had left, but they had to get out soon.

 

"Kolivan, can't you call for backup?!" Shouted one of the Blade fighters.

 

Kolivan was tearing through soldiers angrily. "They have already evacuated. It would cost us more to call them back in! We cannot risk it!" He called back. Lance was freaking out internally, but he resisted the urge to look back at the timer on the bomb for it would only cause him more panic than necessary, which would in turn compromise his abilities. 

 

Slowly the group pushed onwards, steadily cutting back the hoard of soldiers. Lance's hope grew, and he stood up straight, continuing to fire. Suddenly, a rebel fighter stumbled back from the group with a pained cry which drew Lance's attention. He glanced at the group before rushing over, sheathing his bayard as he ran to help.

 

"Are you hit?" Lance asked quickly, and the rebel alien nodded, hand clenched over their shoulder. Lance gritted his teeth as he saw the alien's blood, a blackish purple, watery substance leaking from underneath its hand. Their mouth opened with a groan of pain and Lance noted several other wounds that gushed blood. "Alright, let's get you out of here." He reached underneath the rebel's armpit, taking most of their weight as he stumbled toward the group.

 

"Lance! The bomb!" Keith's slightly distorted voice hit his ears and his eyes widened as he turned to glance at the counter on the bomb. "Get out of there!"

 

Glowing orange letters glared back at him, flicking lower and lower with haunting speed. **5**   **. . . 4 . . . 3 . . .**

 

"Keith!" He yelled, tears already forming in his eyes as he followed his instincts. He picked up the alien, who stuttered in surprise and fear as Lance boldly threw them to Keith, who screamed something Lance couldn't hear over the blast.

* * *

 

Everything was ringing. Lance's head was spinning, his body ached and he didn't know if he was screaming or not. He couldn't hear a thing over the high-pitched droning in his ear. He couldn't see anything either, everything was dark. Were his eyes closed? Was he dead? He didn't feel dead, he still felt pain and numbness, especially in his leg. Was it the left one or the right one? He couldn't tell. He wanted to sleep.

 

He was dying. Lance knew that. He felt his heart beating irregularly, felt his chest rising as he gasped for air, he felt the bruises already forming and the cuts across his body stinging. The ringing in his ears still hadn't settled, and his head throbbed in agony. He just wanted it to stop. He wanted it to go away. He wanted the clutches of death to capture him and erase this pain, the searing burn across his skin and the deep chill settling in his bones. Was he shaking? Probably. He was tired.

 

 _'I'm okay with this.'_ He thought to himself, pinching his eyes shut tighter as his head throbbed more viciously. _'This is fine. I'm ready to go. I did my part.'_ Lance mused. _'I was a Paladin of Voltron, how many people can say that? I saved countless lives, I did good in this world.'_ Lance was ready to accept his death. He was ready to go, he'd done some good in this world, in this universe, FOR the universe, it was going to be okay. He was okay with this. He could accept his death.

 

 _'Keith..'_ He vaguely remembered. They'd had a brief moment before all this. He wouldn't get to say goodbye, not to anyone, but that was alright. Red could do it for him. _'Red..'_ His mind was a mess now, jumping from thing to thing. His family, his friends, Red, Blue, he was gonna miss them. Maybe there was a happy afterlife? He didn't know anymore. He was cold. _'Keith, I like Keith. I never got to kiss him.'_

 

He felt himself coughing, felt liquid in his throat, a bitter metallic tang on his tongue, and he swore he felt arms around him as he drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

Keith had never felt so scared, so horrified in his life. He had been fighting the Galra, almost to the end of the corridor where they could run when he turned to check on the group. Lance had been so far behind, assisting an injured rebel fighter, and he'd been about to run back to help when he saw the orange numbers on the bomb.  **10 . . . 9 . . . 8 . . .**

 

He felt a cold chill of absolute terror crawl down his spine as he screamed as loud as his lungs would allow him to. He'd seen Lance's face, cloaked in shock before he turned and saw the numbers, and when he turned back Keith's heart broke and clenched at the same time due to the look of horror on Lance's face. He thought that Lance would have started running, would have tried his best to get as far away as possible, but instead he'd picked up the alien, calling Keith's name as the raven bolted forwards. Keith didn't even register Kolivan's shout, he only knew that Lance was too close to the bomb and that he wasn't moving, only trying to save the rebel's life. He'd caught the terrified alien and saw Lance's eyes shut right before the blinding explosion. 

 

He was blown back, the alien falling from his grasp as everything seemed to still. His ears rang and his head felt like it was trying to split in two. He could vaguely hear the other bombs going off and the collapsing of the building coupled with the shouts of his teammates, but all he could think about was Lance, _Lance_ , _**Lance**_.

 

His heart was racing and he felt his body trembling and aching all over as he forced himself up. His vision blurred and he had fallen to his knees, trying to gather his surroundings. Others rushed by him and he frantically looked towards the rubble of the control room and corridor, trying to pick out the white and blue armor, or a mess of chocolate hair, anything that would lead him to Lance. He felt sick to his stomach as he stood, body shuddering with agony as his muscles seared and screamed in pain, protesting as he stumbled toward the debris.

 

And then he saw Lance.

 

His voice was raw, his vocal cords stinging as he screamed, running over to the fallen Paladin. His face went pale and he fought the vomit rising in his throat when he saw Lance's left leg absent, blood gushing from the stump just below his knee. He saw the white of Lance's bone and whipped his gaze away, resting it on Lance's face. Blood covered his armor and trickled from an injury on his head, and his eyes were screwed shut in pain. Keith didn't even remember moving but he was at Lance's side in an instant, hands frantically grasping the Cuban boy and pulling him close as he tried to get a grip on himself.

 

"Oh my god, Lance!" He didn't want Lance to die, he couldn't let his friend die. Lance was breathing raggedly, Keith could hear the wet intakes of air and wasn't fazed when Lance coughed up blood. "Lance please, stay with me! Don't go to sleep, open your eyes!" His vision blurred again, but instead of being clouded by darkness it was clouded with tears as they dripped, hot and hurriedly, down his cheeks. "Goddammit Lance! Please!" This couldn't be happening, this wasn't happening. Anyone but Lance.

 

He felt Lance go limp in his arms, and he nearly screamed again when he saw the almost imperceptible movement of his chest signalling he was still breathing. 

 

He looked up at the sound of steel snapping and bending, groaning as the building began to collapse. Keith scooped Lance into his arms, both of them stained with blood, and started running.

 

He weaved his way through rubble with precision, focused on getting Lance out as quick as possible. His heart slammed against his chest, his lungs burned and his muscles ached but he kept running. His eyes kept flicking down to Lance's relaxed expression in a panic, worried that he was going to lose him. He went as fast as his legs could carry him, tears still obstructing his vision though he clenched his jaw and kept going. He had to keep going.

 

The outside was so bright it nearly blinded Keith, but he ignored it as he spotted Red. The Lion roared, an echoing, anguished cry as she lowered her maw. Keith had never been happier to see her as he quickly got Lance inside, holding him close to his chest as he choked back a sob and settled himself in the pilot seat. 

 

"Come on Red! Get him back to the castle now!" He hunched over Lance who was limp in his lap, blood spurting everywhere as he grasped the controls and pushed Red as fast as she could go. He heard the yells from team Voltron in Lance's helmet and clenched his teeth so tight he thought they'd break out of his jaws. 

 

"Shiro! Shiro, Lance is-" Keith was choking on his words, unable to say what he needed to. He was afraid, afraid of voicing it. He didn't want Lance to die, he couldn't let him go. He loved the boy, for Christ's sake, he still needed to tell him, he needed to- 

 

He nearly screamed in frustration as he slammed Red's controls as far as he could. Space flew by them as Keith rushed out of the Planet's atmosphere. "Shiro, Lance was caught in the explosion! He-he needs to be put in a pod right away, h-he-" Keith looked down at Lance's legs, where he was missing one. His bone stood out, jagged and Keith wanted to cry and scream and throw up all at the same time. He felt himself going numb, felt himself shaking violently as he took one of his bloodied hands and cradled Lance's limp head to his chest. "He lost his leg, Shiro, I-I don't-he's not.." Keith trailed off, looking down at Lance's face as Shiro's visage popped up on the monitors, obviously pale and horrified as he barked orders at everyone and tried to talk with Keith. Keith merely shook his head, not registering what anyone was saying as his fingers curled into Lance's hair which was matted with blood and sweat and soot.

 

"Please," He whimpered, more tears beginning to fall as the Castle came into view. "Please Lance."

 

He wasn't sure when they landed, only that he didn't move and clutched Lance as tight as he could and sobbed. He didn't really remember much of anything after that, either, everything was a blur. He saw Shiro rush in, grasping at Lance and prying him from Keith's arms though Keith wanted to hold him more than anything. He remembered Hunk and Pidge, both looking sick in the face as they led him out of Red, Red who was as red on the inside as she was on the outside because Lance had been bleeding out in her cockpit. Keith didn't want to think as he was also escorted to the Medbay, a white room stained with blood as Lance laid on a steel table with Shiro, Coran and Allura all over him, removing his armor and trying to fix the damage to his body. All Keith could see was an empty space where Lance's leg was supposed to be, the ripped flesh still gushing blood, the bone protruding, the white and blue armor smeared with blood. It was a nightmare, and Keith was living it. 

 

He didn't have to think anymore, though, because shortly after, Keith blacked out.

* * *

 When Keith awoke, he was stepping out of the healing pod. Shiro helped him get settled in a chair, and he could only think of how much his body still ached, how his heart felt like it was being torn apart as he saw Lance, all patched and stitched up in the pod next to his. He saw how peaceful Lance looked in the white suit, though he saw where the suit had been tied at the knee, leaving that empty space for Lance's left leg. It made him sick again, and Shiro gave him water and food.

 

"Keith, I know it's hard, but take care of yourself first." Shiro instructed, looking at him with a knowing gaze. Shiro looked pained, though, and his eyes were slightly red. "Lance is alive, he'll be okay. We are working on a prosthetic for him." Keith looked up and, sure enough, Allura, Coran, Hunk and Pidge were hovering over a leg-shaped, shiny chrome prosthetic that was connected to many chips and wires as they assembled it. Allura glanced up, face stricken with grief and determination as she gave Keith a nod and turned her vibrant blue eyes to Shiro.

 

"Shiro," She called softly as she handed Pidge a wrench-like tool. Hunk looked emotionless as he assembled the parts, holding them as Pidge connected them and Coran placed a few more tools on the table. He looked like a wreck, eyes red and puffy and Keith knew he'd been crying. Coran was no longer looking happy or joyous, either, and it looked like he had even more wrinkles than before. Pidge, he couldn't see, but he knew that she was most likely red-eyed as well even though she worked quickly and precisely. 

 

Shiro glanced back and nodded before turning back to Keith and placing his human hand on his shoulder, squeezing before he let go and returned to the table. Keith turned his eyes away, sipping at a water packet though he didn't want to. Just looking at the food made him sick to his stomach. He shut his eyes, not wanting to look at Lance in this state but at the same time never wanting to take his eyes off the other male ever again. He didn't know how long he'd been out but he assumed it was at least a few days since they were so far along with Lance's prosthetic leg and most of his wounds were healed. 

 

He finished off the water and tossed it aside, resting his head in his hands. He knew he'd liked Lance as more than a friend for a very long time, and it had severely hurt him when he chose to leave Voltron for the Blade of Marmora, even though he knew it was a good choice in some way. He remembered being the leader for a while, having Lance as his right hand man. It was important to Keith, especially when Lance had come to him about the Lions when they'd gotten Shiro back. He hadn't wanted to leave Lance, but he'd wanted to pursue who he was so that maybe he'd be able to figure out his life, his history. He'd been wanting to confess to Lance for a while, but was unable to find time between missions since they were so fast-paced. He thought he was going to lose the person he loved the most. 

  
God, what he wouldn't do in order to have taken Lance's place. He couldn't stop wishing it was him who had been close to the bomb, him who had been impulsive and reckless, him who had lost his left leg instead of Lance. His gaze traveled up and before he knew it he was staring at Lance, eyes wandering over the bandages and gauze and stitches that were visible. There wasn't much bruising, and Keith was sure there was worse things underneath the white suit he wore, but he tried to focus on the fact that Lance was healing. He wasn't dead, he was going to get better.

 

Keith leaned his head back, tired. The room was relatively quiet, the hushed voices of the five at the table reaching his ears as well as the whirring of the machinery in the Castle. Nothing could distract Keith from his thoughts, however. 

 

Before he got too absorbed in himself, he got up, drawing a few eyes for a moment before he went to lay down in one of the beds with a heavy sigh. His shoulders were tense but he couldn't relax, and he quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Nearly a month had passed before Lance was finally let out. 

 

Keith had fully recovered and was there to assist with whatever he could. The prosthetic was ready, glowing blue in a few spots, shiny and chromatic, ready to be attached to Lance. He wasn't going to be awake when they did it, so he was sedated before being laid upon the table. All the blood had been cleaned up which Keith was grateful for, he didn't know if he could stomach seeing any more.

 

He watched Lance's face at the head of the table. Coran and Allura were handling the prosthetic while Shiro adjusted Lance's leg as needed. Pidge was running a diagnostic on Lance to monitor how he was healing and Hunk was squeezing Lance's hand tightly, tearing up again. Keith wanted to cry too, but he knew he had to be strong.

 

Keith watched with slight fascination and a heavy, sinking feeling in his stomach. How was Lance going to react when he woke up and found half of his leg missing? The raven tried not to think about that, he just focused on Lance's even, soft breaths and the silky smooth chocolate locks between his fingers as he carded them through Lance's hair.

 

Allura and Coran locked the prosthetic onto Lance's leg, and it shimmered as it connected to his leg. 

 

"Stable?" Allura asked quickly, eyes roaming over Lance's leg.

 

"Stable." Pidge responded, typing on the monitor. "It's tuned in to Lance's brain and nerves, it should move like a normal leg now." She said, and Keith's eyes flicked over the faces of everyone. Shiro stared at the prosthetic, his own Galra hand clenched tightly in a fist. Hunk wiped at his eyes with his free hand and Allura sighed heavily, rubbing her fingers over her bleary eyes. Coran moved to grab vials and syringes, and Pidge stared blankly at the monitor.

 

"What now?" Keith asked quietly. Coran returned, grasping Lance's arm and sticking a needle into the veins on the underside of his wrist. Keith looked away quickly, eyes flickering between Allura and Shiro at the other end of the table. 

 

"We wait." Shiro said softly. Allura looked at him with concern, and he didn't look back at her. Pidge closed the monitor, albeit a bit reluctantly, and moved to wrap her arms around Hunk. 

 

Keith looked back down at Lance. A somber silence settled across the room, and Keith felt his eyes and nose sting with upcoming tears. 

 

"When Lance wakes up, we'll be here for him." Shiro said. Keith looked at him, recognizing some of the emotions flashing across Shiro's face. Worry, anger, desperation, hope. His mechanical hand was still curled in a fist, and Keith knew he could relate to the loss of a limb. He also knew that no one was there for Shiro when the Galra were torturing and experimenting on him, and he could tell that Shiro didn't want Lance to feel alone or outcasted because he'd lost his leg. Keith hoped Lance wouldn't be torn or broken, but he didn't know how Lance would truly feel. It was up to time, now.

 

For days they took turns in the Medbay, watching Lance as he slept in the bed. Keith was there most of the time, having chosen to stay on the Castle for a while instead of going back with the Blades. Kolivan respected his choice, and so Keith spent nearly most of his time in the Medbay even when the others were already there. When he wasn't there, he was either training, eating or in the hangar with Red. Though he couldn't feel her bond anymore, her presence was warm and comforting and she was connected to Lance, so in a way, being with her was connecting him to Lance, too. 

 

Finally, the moment they'd all been waiting for came when Keith was settled in the chair beside Lance's bed. Keith was dozing off slightly, having been there for a while when Lance huffed a soft sound. It immediately caught Keith's trained ears and he jerked up in his seat, leaning over as Lance's brows twitched. His pulse jumped and he found himself unable to call for the others as he watched Lance's body shift as his cerulean eyes opened. They cracked open briefly before squeezing shut at the brightness of the Medbay.

 

 Keith's mind was whirling, his heart racing and his palms were beginning to grow sweaty. Lance let out a soft groan, a hand slowly reaching up to rub at his face. Keith couldn't stop himself and he reached out, shakily grasping Lance's warm hand in his own. Lance blinked his eyes a few times, settling his squinty gaze upon Keith.

 

"Keith?" He croaked out. His brows furrowed and he looked around before staring at the ceiling straight above him. His face went blank, and Keith wanted to cry because he knew what was going through Lance's mind. He knew Lance was remembering the mission, his near-death experience, all the blood and death. Keith clenched his jaw, swallowing around the lump in his throat.

 

"I'm here Lance, h-how do you feel?" He felt himself getting choked up an forced the tears back. Lance's lips parted just so, as if he was about to say something, but no sound came out. Keith watched a shudder run through Lance and caught sight of movement in his peripheral vision. He turned and watched as Lance wiggled his toes and felt the sinking feeling settle like a rock in his stomach. "Lance-"

 

"My leg." He whispered, eyes going wide before he sat up and shoved the blankets off of him, eyes shimmering with a sheen of unshed tears. Keith's protest died in his throat because, really, who was he to deny the inevitable? Though his heart broke again when Lance's face drained of color as he stared in horror at the fluidly moving chrome prosthetic. Keith was slightly impressed at how easily the toes and ankle moved, but didn't dwell on it as he reached out and squeezed Lance's hand between his own.

 

"Lance, it's going to be okay. The team worked on this prosthetic for you, a-and it's totally safe and functional and we're here for you, Lance." He leaned down, trying to catch Lance's eyes but they were locked on his false limb. Keith desperately searched for that happy, lively spark in Lance's blue eyes, searched for something, _anything_ that told him Lance was okay, that Lance was himself, but he reigned himself in when he realized that once you literally lose a part of yourself, you're never the same.

 

Lance pulled his hand away and slowly reached out, skimming his fingers along his thigh, over his knee until it froze at the edge of his skin, where it turned into metal. Keith clenched his fists at his sides as Lance's breath hitched, eyes beginning to shimmer with tears, and his fingers brushed over the prosthetic. A hand clapped over Lance's mouth as he let out a high pitched cry that was choked off by a sob, eyes shutting tightly and tears streaming down his cheeks. Keith quickly moved onto the bed next to Lance, reaching around him and pulling him close, trying to calm and console him with gentle shushing and whispered words as he pulled the red paladin to his chest. Lance sobbed uncontrollably, and before too long Hunk was rushing into the room, frantic and worried.

 

"Lance!" He cried, rushing over. Keith gave him a desperate look and Hunk knelt down beside the bed, rubbing his hand along Lance's trembling back as his eyes grew teary. "Lance, buddy, hey, it's okay, I'm here." Hunk spoke gently, but Lance kept crying, unable to stop. Tears stained and dampened Keith's shirt but he paid it no mind, pressing his face to the crown of Lance's head.

 

"Lance, please, you gotta breathe for me. It'll be okay, breathe, relax, in and out." Keith instructed carefully. Shakily, Lance attempted to breathe normally, taking long, stuttering breaths in and out. A few occasional whimpers slipped out from time to time and he hiccuped as he tried to relax. Keith squeezed Lance against him softly, shutting his own eyes for a moment to keep himself calm as well. There was so much that needed to be said, so much Keith needed to get out of his system, but now was far from the right time. He'd have to be patient, unfortunately that wasn't his strong suit. He wasn't the best at comforting people, either, but he was trying. He had to; it was for Lance.

 

Eventually, Lance was calm, though still teary-eyed, and he looked hopelessly at the shiny replacement for his leg. Hunk chewed his lower lip and looked between Lance and Keith before slowly standing.

 

"I'm going to make you some food, Lance." Hunk gave him a sunny, friendly smile, and Lance offered a weak one in response. After patting his friend on the shoulder lightly, Hunk walked out of the Medbay and Keith felt Lance's weight drop against his chest.

 

"My leg is gone." He whispered. The words almost made Keith flinch with how broken they sounded as they tumbled from Lance's lips, but Keith clenched his jaw and thought about what he was going to say before he blurted out something that caused Lance to freak out again.

 

"So you remember?" He asked carefully after a few beats of silence. Lance nodded against his chest. Keith took a breath. "Everyone worked hard on the prosthetic for you. They all know how it works, and we are all here to support you. You're still Lance, you're still a paladin, and we all still care about you. This doesn't make you any less of a man or a defender of the universe, alright?" Keith said, looking down at Lance's messy brunet hair. After a moment, Lance drew a shuddering breath and nodded once more.

 

"Thanks." He croaked weakly, sitting upright again. Keith wanted to pull Lance back into him, to wrap himself around the lanky boy and keep him safe from the world, but he knew that wasn't possible. Lance reached out again, fingers running along the shin of the prosthetic. "It's warm, like my body." He commented, and Keith wanted to touch it too, but he knew that would be overstepping a boundary.

 

"How do you feel?" He asked quietly, studying Lance's sunken, tired face. God, the male looked exhausted, and Keith felt as though he didn't look any better.

 

Lance let out a dry, humorless laugh. "I feel broken. Like I'm not who I was. I feel sore all over, I feel tired and I feel like I shouldn't even be here." Keith frowned and opened his mouth to protest, but Lance continued. "I was ready to die. I had given up, sacrificing myself to safe the life of someone else. I'd already accepted it, already apologized to Red for lying because I told her I was going to be back soon but that didn't happen, already looked back on my life and even though it wasn't much, I knew I'd at least done some good for the universe because I'd been a part of Voltron, so I was ready." Keith let the words sink in, and they made his heart ache and his head spin. Lance was ready to die? Willing to give up his life? He gave in so easily, believing that he wasn't going to make it right off the bat. Keith gnawed harshly on his lower lip as he stared at the other. He started to get angry, furious with Lance for giving up so easily after everything they'd been through, everything they'd done. He was pissed that Lance, the one who usually pushed Keith to his limits, who encouraged everyone in their darkest moments to keep fighting, who wanted to save every single person he could would so easily and quickly throw away any hope of living just like that.

 

"Well you know what?" Keith began, tone sharp and hurried. Lance turned to him, gaze questioning, and Keith let the fire in his veins burn bright. "You might have been ready, but no one else was. No one wanted to watch you die, Lance. They were screaming and crying and hurrying to do whatever they could to save you. Maybe you gave up after that bomb hit, but everyone else sure as hell didn't! Pidge, Hunk, Allura, Coran, Shiro, they all stayed up forever putting together that prosthetic for you. They worked on it for hours, days, for as long as they could. They neglected themselves for you, to save you, to make you whole again, and sure, you might have been ready to die but no one else was ready for that! I-" Keith felt tears burning in his eyes, felt his throat clogging up and his words choking but the flames inside him kept him going. "When I saw you, broken and bloodied, when I saw your fucking **_leg_ ** completely broken off, my world shattered. I thought you were going to die and I couldn't let that happen. I was crying as I ran to Red, begging her to get to the castle as fast as she could, trying to talk to the others while I held your dying body in my arms, i-it was horrible, Lance, I thought you were going to die but I didn't want you to, I wasn't ready for you to because I still had things to say to you. I still had to tell you how I felt." His voice dropped to a whisper as his vision blurred and hot, unwanted tears dripped down his cheeks. "I still had to tell you that I loved you."

 

Keith clenched his wet eyes shut and Lance gasped at his words. Angrily, he scrubbed at his eyes to try and stop crying. Why was he like this? Why did this have to happen the way it did? Why didn't the mission just go the way it was planned and everyone got out fine? He was so angry, so furious with the universe for causing this mess, for causing all the pain and hurt and trauma. He wanted it to go away, he wanted to go back to Earth, he wanted things to go back to being happy and fun and fine. He didn't ask for this.

 

"Keith," Lance said, voice cracking, and Keith looked up then. Lance was crying again, but he had a small, genuine smile on his face. "Keith I-" His words were cut off by the lump in his throat, and Lance swallowed before speaking again. "Keith, when I was bleeding out... there was one thing I still wanted to do and I thought I'd never have the chance to." He shifted his gaze up, meeting Keith's grey-violet eyes. "I wanted to tell you, Keith, that I fell in love with you. I fell in love with your passion and strength, your determination, the fire in your heart and the heat in your gaze, everything about you I fell so deeply in love with that I couldn't bear not being able to tell you, so I wanted to die." He wiped at his eyes fruitlessly, the tears continuing to flow down his cheeks. His eyes were red and puffy and Keith was sure his looked the same. "But.. I'm here, and I love you with everything I am." Keith's heart was hammering against his chest, wanting to burst from the happiness. Lance loved him back, Lance felt the same and they were here together. Keith couldn't thank the stars enough for Lance being alive.

 

With a surge of courage and a small, helpless whimper Keith leaned forwards, capturing Lance's lips with his own. The kiss was hot and deep, love and passion burning and flowing between them as Lance's cry was swallowed down by Keith. Strong arms wrapped around Lance's body, pulling him close, shifting forwards as Lance shifted, legs shaky as he tried to push himself closer to Keith. 

 

"Lance," Keith breathed, immense relief flooding his veins as his hands ran up and down Lance's back. Lance's hands found their way to Keith's hair, fingers tangling in the dark locks as he tugged Keith close and kissed him again. Keith groaned, all the tension leaving his body as Lance sighed against his mouth, lips moving languidly, slowly, and Keith found himself relaxing as he realized they had all the time they needed to be together. Lance was alive, Lance was here and safe and in his arms, and he wasn't going anywhere. They broke apart, breathing heavily, and Lance tucked his blushing face against Keith's neck. Keith leaned into Lance, hands keeping him close as his stomach filled with happy butterflies.

 

"Thank you." Lance whispered against his skin, pressing a soft kiss to Keith's neck. Keith shuddered at the gentle, affectionate gesture that left tingles on his skin.

 

"What for?" He whispered back, leaning his cheek against Lance's soft locks of hair. 

 

"For not giving up on me." Lance responded softly. Keith felt his heart melt a little and he turned his head, pressing a firm kiss to the crown of Lance's head.

 

"I'll never give up on you." He said quietly, fiercely, an unspoken promise as he clutched Lance close to him. Lance hummed softly, and a comfortable silence settled over them. Moments later, however, both of their stomachs chimed up with gurgles and rumbles, causing Lance to giggle and Keith to smile softly.

 

"I guess we should get some food." Lance said with a laugh, sitting up. Keith nodded, rising from the bed and looking down at Lance as the other stared at his leg. 

 

"Can you stand?" Keith asked, frowning slightly. Lance breathed in and nodded, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. With a grunt, he pushed himself up onto wobbly legs. Keith hurried to Lance's side, offering his hand. Lance swayed, hand clamping onto Keith's firm arm, and Keith bit his lip. Lance steadied himself, finding his balance, and stepped forwards. Keith walked with him, accommodating the fluctuation in the pressure on his arm and easily supporting Lance's weight when he swayed too far off balance. Together they walked toward the kitchen, Lance's gait growing slightly smoother with each step until he was mostly walking straight with a slight limp.

 

They reached the dining hall where everyone else was. Hunk was still in the kitchen cooking, but the others were hovering around the table making quiet conversation. However, once catching sight of Lance stumbling in, they all cried out and rushed toward him. Lance laughed as he was swamped by his friends, whoy hugged and fretted over him. Keith kept his arm in Lance's reach, smiling softly at the heartwarming reunion of a family back together again. Pidge clung to Lance, burying her face in his abdomen while Allura's arms wrapped around Lance's shoulders, squeezing him tight. Hunk had peeked out from the kitchen, eyes soft as he grinned at the scene before him. Coran ruffled Lance's hair once he got close enough, giving Lance a quick hug with a joyful "Welcome back!" Keith watched Shiro approach then, the Black Paladin's eyes flickering down to Lance's prosthetic before they jumped back up to his face, a smile on his lips.

 

"Shiro," Lance said softly as the taller man approached. Keith crossed his arms as Lance stumbled forward into Shiro's bear hug. They embraced each other tightly for a long moment before Shiro pulled back.

 

"I'm glad you're okay, Lance." He said, eyes bright and fond as they gazed at the shorter male. "How are you feeling? How is your.. leg?" He hesitated. Lance grinned.

 

"It's fine. Hey, now we're twins! ..Sort of. I don't think mine does cool-glowy-weapon stuff though." Everyone laughed, and Keith stepped closer to Lance as he noticed the other leaning heavily on his right leg- the real one.

 

"Well, we're here for you. You're still our friend and valued member of team Voltron." Shiro said. Lance's grin turned gentle and his eyes grew teary again.

 

"Thank you guys. All of you. For everything." He said, turning to look at them all. His cerulean eyes settled on Keith and they seemed to grow brighter, a lively spark in them again, one that Keith was ecstatic to see. 

 

"Dinner!" Hunk called as he walked out from the kitchen, dishes of surprisingly delicious-looking alien food balanced on his thick arms. Everyone hurried to the table while Keith walked Lance to his seat before settling beside him. "Enjoy." Hunk said as he sat the plates down and they all began to dig in.

 

Conversation was light, the atmosphere was happy, everyone seemed brighter and everything felt like it was back to normal. Keith felt whole again as he stared at Lance, completely ignoring his food despite the protests from his stomach. Lance was laughing and talking with everyone, too, acting like himself again. Keith knew it would still be hard, though, but he vowed to be there for Lance whenever he was needed, and he refused to allow anymore pain to come to Lance. Lance only deserved the best.

 

"Keith?" Lance questioned, snapping Keith out of his trance.

 

"What? Yes? What's wrong?" Keith jumped, brow furrowing in worry as he scanned Lance's body for signs of pain or discomfort. Was his leg malfunctioning? Was he having a flashback?

 

Lance laughed lightly, the gentle sound easing Keith out of his panicking mom-mode. "Keith, it's alright, I was just worried about you. You were staring at me really intensely." Lance paused, smile switching to a flirty smirk as he wiggled his brows. "Like what you see?"

 

Keith rolled his eyes with a chuckle, leaning over to press a soft kiss to Lance's lips. "Absolutely."

 

Lance blushed, turning back to his food shyly as Keith smirked and reached for his hand. Lance smiled as he laced their fingers together, and Keith glanced up to see everyone's eyes on them. He felt his cheeks grow warm as he looked at them, but he wasn't embarrassed about loving Lance.

 

"What?" He asked, and everyone shared a look before they turned back to their food and the subject at hand. Keith sighed but secretly smiled as he resumed eating. He was happy, Lance was happy, and they were back together as a family. That's what mattered. Because even though there had been pain and suffering, there were also these good moments, moments of happiness and love and belonging, and they just had to focus on the good rather than the bad. They were still going to fight, and this time they would fight harder, fight with everything they had, and Keith promised himself that they would win the war together. They would win it for themselves, win it for the planets that deserved freedom after all these years, win it for Earth and win it for each other. They could do it. Even through the roughest times, they would persevere, and in the end, it would turn out okay because they had each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Alright so... I don't know how it feels to be traumatized or having lost a limb but.. I tried to tug at your heartstrings a little and write the scenario as best I could. It's important for me to expand my writing capabilities and so any feedback is really appreciated whether you're just complimenting a scene I wrote, fixing a mistake or suggesting what could have been done differently. Seriously, constructive criticism is super helpful to me especially in my future fics so don't be shy! And thank you for reading even if it was a painful, emotional journey.
> 
> Also I'm terrible at endings.


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